


glass house

by heartsick_alien_diplomat



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi Keiji Is So Done, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Reality Show, Angst, Bad Pick-Up Lines, Boys Being Boys, Break Up, Drama, First Dates, Fluff and Angst, Gay Disasters, I'll update the tags as I go, Idiots in Love, Implied Sexual Content, Italics, M/M, Misunderstandings, Moaning, Multi, Mutual Pining, Non-Linear Narrative, Not Beta Read, Online Dating, Out of Character, POV Multiple, Pining, Post-Break Up, Reality TV, Slow Burn, Swearing, Tinder, Unhealthy Relationships, bark bark grrr woof, bros kissing bros, group chat antics, kisses!, miya twins being stupid, more math (sorry), overly detailed calculus, probably, sorry about that, they all share a brain cell
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:20:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29033058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartsick_alien_diplomat/pseuds/heartsick_alien_diplomat
Summary: Picture a trashy reality television show—one that's an absolute guilty pleasure for you. It's silly, it's tasteless, and it's full of unnecessary drama...yet you can't help but watch episode after episode. We've all been there.Now imagine that reality show again, but add a motley crew of Haikyuu charcters, mix in a dash of College AU, and sprinkle liberally with Shakespearean-levels of drama and misunderstanding. It's a disaster, but at least it's fun to watch!
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Akaashi Keiji/Miya Osamu, Azumane Asahi/Kai Nobuyuki, Hinata Shouyou/Kozume Kenma, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou (referenced), Kuroo Tetsurou/Sakusa Kiyoomi, Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Takeda Ittetsu/Ukai Keishin, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 15
Kudos: 38





	1. Akaashi and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is in Akaashi's perspective, but this isn't an Akaashi-centric fic. The perspective will switch up in future chapters :)
> 
> also!!! I recommend listening to [Unrequited by Madi Sipes & The Painted Blue](https://youtu.be/z5GY29S2F9o) while you read

Akaashi was in pain. 

Usually when the teaching assistant placed the exam on his desk, Akaashi would immediately start planning how he’d attack the test—which problems to do first, which ones were the most important, which ones he could afford to skip graphing or showing his steps in order to save time _._ His formulaic method was a bit unsettling to watch, but no one could argue about how effective it was. It was like watching a cyborg solve for tangent planes and other mathematical nonsense. Although he felt out of place in this advanced calculus course, Akaashi consistently received the highest marks on his exams. At least, he usually did. 

Today, however, his droopy eyes adorned with raccoon-like bags could hardly stay open as he glanced down at the papers in front of him. Akaashi’s head pounded and his headache seemed to throb more intensely as he squinted at the tiny mathematical squiggles. _What the fuck is an iterated integral and a vector field?_ He felt more sick at the sight of the coordinate fields full of flocks of tiny arrows. Heaving a stressed sigh, Akaashi took off his glasses and massaged his temples in an attempt to soothe his headache. 

_Goddamn Bokuto keeping me up last night_ _,_ he thought, _what’s the point of having a single if I can still hear my neighbors?_ Akaashi groaned a bit louder than he intended, earning a strange look from the student sitting beside him. Flushed and sleep-deprived, he stared at the swirling numbers on the page and began to write.

~~~

It all started the evening before, when that damned Bokuto and a friend of his decided to have a barking competition. (Yes, you read that correctly: Akaashi couldn’t figure out how else to describe it.) Akaashi had just settled into his desk chair with his calculus textbook, a cup of chai, and his comfiest blanket wrapped ‘round his shoulders when it began. 

“Woof,” he heard a distinctly human voice say from the other side of the wall. Akaashi ignored it. He’d learned to accept that weird noises were commonplace in that dorm room, and it was better not to ask too many questions.

“Oh yeah? Well, woof!” He heard again, but louder, and this time, it was coming from his neighbor’s mouth. While Akaashi didn’t recognize the first…woof, he knew the second belonged to Bokuto Koutarou, his next-door neighbor and chief pain in the ass. Sure, he had never had a conversation with Bokuto that went beyond “Hello, Bokuto-san,” but Akaashi didn’t particularly _want_ to talk to him. If Akaashi was italics, then Bo was in bold, and as far as the exhausted student was concerned, the two were incompatible.

The man next door was loud and full of energy and entirely _too much_. He talked loudly and sang loudly and even walked loudly. Akaashi knew a lot of words, yet he still couldn’t find the right ones to describe his neighbor. _“Too much” is the most appropriate,_ Akaashi figured. _It captured Bokuto’s appearance…that bold hairstyle and huge muscles and big smile and a—_

Another round of barks interrupted Akaashi’s thoughts: he couldn’t decide if he was thankful for the interruption or more frustrated by it. _Do I live next door to a bunch of furries?_ He scowled and stared at his textbook. The numbers and letters seemed to dance an elaborate tango on the page, the animal sounds next door grew louder, and Akaashi’s seemingly endless patience was wearing thin. Well. His patience had been eroding for months now, and this just seemed to be the inopportune breaking point. 

“WOOF—”

“C’mon, that doesn’t ev’n sound like a dog, Bokkun!”

“It totally does! And yours weren’t any better so, muah!”

Akaashi’s eye twitched—the involuntary action worried him only momentarily—and he let his head drop face first onto his textbook before sighing.

“All I want to do is study. That’s it,” he muttered into the graph of a very sexy hyperbolic paraboloid. The incessant barking stopped, but before Akaashi could be thankful, another round of terrible noises assaulted his ears. His neighbor had started _moaning_. 

The sound was drawn out like that of a bad porn star: Akaashi wasn’t any kind of expert in pornography, but it was painfully obvious that this was fake. Again, he wasn’t sure if he should be grateful or not, but another moan came shortly after. The second was louder, more obnoxious, but also… _more genuine?_ Akaashi wrinkled his nose at the thought. _Disgusting—stop thinking about them. Stop listening_ — 

As much as he would like to stop, the moaning (like the barking) increased in volume until the two men next door were basically creating some unholy symphony of sexual grunts and groans. Akaashi wished he had accepted Osamu’s invitation to study together, because while the two wouldn’t have gotten any work done, at least he wouldn’t be here, in his room, face literally in a book, while his asshole neighbor moaned his heart out next door. _What a fucking joke._

Akaashi lifted his head to stare at the ceiling and, in an act of desperation, clasped his hands together for a little prayer. 

“Please, whoever’s up there listening, I just want to study. I don’t want anything else. I don’t care about getting a fancy job or car or house or _anything_. I don’t ask for much, do I? And if I do, I’ll stop. I’ll stop wishing I could study literature instead of biology, I’ll stop hoping I can keep a cat in my dorm room, I’ll stop hoping for lots of things. Okay? I’ll be a better person. I’ll be a fucking angel, all I fuc—oh, my apologies for the swearing. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’m just stressed and so tired. I’m so tired. But all I want is to be able to stu—” 

A particularly emphatic “Yes, daddy!” sounded from the room next door, and Akaashi knew that no help, divine or otherwise, was coming. He calmly removed his glasses and set them to the side. His head then collided rather violently with the textbook once more and didn’t come back up until long after Bokuto and his friend had stopped doing…whatever it was they were doing.

~~~

When Akaashi received his first failing grade in years on this test, he wasn’t surprised. Disappointed? Yep. Miserable? Check. Frustrated? Oh, definitely. The red markings liberally scattered over the pages made his stomach hurt and gave him heartburn, but more than anything else, he was angry with himself. 

_You need to stop letting yourself get distracted_ _,_ he thought that afternoon, _you can’t let your dumbass neighbors ruin your grades. Pull yourself together or your parents will pull you out of the university._

Akaashi put his head in his hands and closed his eyes, so he could focus on the problem in front of him. _Alright. One failing grade. I can deal with this._ He sighed. _I have that scholarship. If I can get extra credit to make up for this assignment, then it’ll be like this never happened. But they still pay for part of my tuition…okay. Thanks to that tutoring job I had over the summer, I was able to afford my books and living expenses…maybe I should get back into tutoring. I can do this. I’ll talk to my professor and maybe I can get extra credit from tutoring through the math department over break. Okay. See, you’re smart, Keiji. I’ve got a game plan and nothing will distract—_ a hand lightly touched his shoulder. 

With tense muscles, Akaashi looked up and let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. A tired smile graced his lips.

“Hey, you okay? Y’seem a bit stressed,” Osamu gave his shoulder a squeeze. “Didja remember that I was coming around?” 

“I remembered, you just surprised me. I’m fine. Just thinking.” 

“So you don’t have too much on yer plate right now?”

“No.” Akaashi’s brows furrowed. “Why? Is something wrong?” 

“Well…” Osamu sat across from Akaashi, but he didn’t make eye contact. “Keiji, this is hard to say, but I…I’m not that into ya anymore.” 

Akaashi blinked slowly. _Not…not into me? I don’t…I don’t understand—_

“Yikes, that’s not what I meant, I’m sorry,” Osamu corrected himself quickly. He met Akaashi’s eyes and continued, “Yer cute ‘n’ all, ‘Ji, _really_ cute, and I love you. I still do. But this—what we have now—isn’t workin’. For either of us. All ya do is work and study and think about workin’ and think about studyin’ and it’s…it’s not making me feel loved, y’know? And regardless of what my stupid brother says, I deserve to feel loved. So since ya seem to want space so badly…here it is. Maybe things’ll be easier for you if I’m out of the picture. Shit. Shit, I don’t mean to sound so…so _mean_ , but I’m tired, Keiji. I wanted us to work, but I think we’d be better off as friends.”

Heart feeling like a lump of lead embedded in his chest, Akaashi turned away. Hot tears welled up in his eyes, words got caught in his throat. So much threatened to spill out—he wanted to bare his aching soul to his now ex-boyfriend and profess his love—but nothing came out. Nothing. He lowered his head and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to contain his tears. 

Osamu sighed. _Not even going to try to convince me to stay? No final “I love you”?_ His own chest ached. He’d tried to be a source of comfort for Akaashi, but after months of this—being ignored, being neglected, being cast aside—he was sick of being there for someone who didn’t reciprocate the effort. _Do I deserve to feel like this? Bad about breaking up with him?_ _Am I doing something wrong…?_ He neatly bottled the feelings up to deal with later, in the privacy of his dorm room. _I need to call ‘Tsumu. Or Kuroo. Someone…_

“I’ll see ya around. Take care of yourself.” Osamu’s voice was strained, pinched almost. As if he was biting back what he _actually_ wanted to say.

Akaashi stared at the floor in front of him, his fingers anxiously picking at his skin. He didn’t watch Osamu walk away, he didn’t call after him, he didn’t wipe away the tears that dripped down his nose and clouded his glasses and covered his cheeks with a shiny layer of salt. His thoughts seemed to be swimming in a thick jelly. Shell-shocked and unable to process what Osamu had said, Akaashi sat frozen in the library until long after other students had left the building. 

It was only when the motion-activated lights started turning off that Akaashi realized that one, it was a Tuesday, and two, that it was already dark outside. _I need to call him, I need to talk to him, I need to do something…I’ve wasted the whole afternoon._ He stood up, but his tense muscles moved in slow motion. _No, he wouldn’t want to talk to me. He sounded so upset._ Akaashi’s lip trembled at the thought. He headed toward the library’s exit and glanced at the large bulletin board next to the automatic doors. 

The usual “Looking for a Roommate?” and club advertisement flyers were haphazardly posted, but an ugly scrap of yellowed paper caught Akaashi’s eye. He paused.

**_“Casting call! Special opportunity for those looking for an escape this summer break,”_ ** he read, **“** ** _and no acting experience required! Email the address below if interested.”_ **

_My life has officially come tumbling down around me. Why not add one more bad decision to the list?_ Akaashi impulsively ripped a tab from the paper and went outside.


	2. bark, bark, woof

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins act like...twins, Bokuto yells out of his window, and we meet another one of Bo's neighbors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're going a bit back in time + switching perspectives a bit, but I hope it's clear what's going on!!
> 
> Theme song for this chapter is [Boys Like You by dodie](https://youtu.be/kRAPxo59EbU)

“You gonna talk to him?”

“Shut yer mouth,” Osamu reached up and smacked his brother’s leg, which was hanging off the edge of the top bunk. Forgoing the creaky ladder at the foot of the bunk beds, the blond Miya twin hopped down.

“You gotta, ‘Samu, or—”

“Would ya leave me alone? I knew I shouldn’t have roomed with you. I swear, I’m getting my own apartme—oof!” Osamu was cut short by a pillow walloping him in the face. 

“Listen to me! I’m bein’ serious for once.” Atsumu kneeled beside the bed and watched his brother warily. “I’m jus’ trying to look out for you.” 

“I don’t want yer help,” Osamu muttered, turning away. 

“Too bad. So will ya listen to me? To your extremely wise older brother?” Atsumu smiled and his brother scoffed. 

“…fine. But that doesn’t mean I’ll take your advice—”

“Yeah, yeah, sure,” Atsumu waved his hand dismissively as he continued, “but you’ll _want_ to take it. I’m smart when it comes to this stuff, y’know.”

“Sure.”

“I am! You need to talk to yer boyfriend. Tell him you’re unhappy, that there are some problems you need to work out. When was the last time you two went out on a date? I’m heading over to Bokkun’s tonight, so you should invite him over here. Make dinner for him or somethin’.”

Osamu sat quietly for a moment or two. Begrudgingly, he gave a mumbled response.

“Huh?” Atsumu poked him in the side. “Couldn’t hear ya, bud.”

“Thank you,” the other twin grumbled, “for helpin’ me. I didn’t know what to do. He’s been so distant lately, and I feel like we don’t ev’n talk anymore.” Osamu’s nose scrunched up, and his skin felt prickly and hot. 

“Hey, calm down.” Atsumu’s face softened. “I notice more than ya think I do, y’know. You’re in…some kinda… _slump_ , and it’s really bummin’ me out. I don’t like seeing you like this. I mean, it was fucking _disgusting_ to see you in love, but heartbreak looks even worse on you. So talk to him. Work it out. I don't want ya to be like this.” Atsumu stood up and stretched. 

“Well, I’m glad you don’t want me to be miserable,” Osamu whacked his brother in the side. 

“Ow! After our lil heart-to-heart, this is how you treat me?!”

“I already said ‘thanks,’ what else do ya want?”

“A million bucks and a boyfriend,” Atsumu said, rubbing his side, as he shuffled to his closet.

“Didn’t you hook up with Bokuto a while ago?” Osamu pulled out his phone to shoot his boyfriend a text. **_Hey, pumpkin. I’ve been missing you. Do you maybe want to come over tonight? I’ll make your favorite. Or, well, whatever I can rustle up with a bag of rice and a few eggs. I know you have class early tomorrow, so I won’t keep you out late. I’ll even help you study :)_ **

“Nah,” the blond twin changed into a maroon sweater. “We kissed on New Year’s, but you know how he is.”

“Weird. He still in the closet?” Osamu erased the message he had been typing and started over. **_Hey, Keiji <3 Wanna come over tonight and study_ ** His teeth anxiously bit at his lower lip, and his fingers hesitated over the phone’s keyboard as he thought about what to write next. _Should I be cool or sappy? I sound like such a doofus_ —

“Hm, yeah, but he’s poking his head out. I think? He keeps saying ‘no homo,’ but he spends ages describing how cute his neighbor is. It’s gross. Although…I am kinda curious about this guy. You should hear how Bo gushes about his _gorgeous_ eyes and _lovely_ dark hair and pretty hands—I mean, he spits fuckin’ poetry about him.”

“Yeah, cool.” The younger twin, not really paying attention, sighed and flopped face-first into his blankets. “‘Tsumu, I _can’t_ do this.”

“Then I’ll do it!” In a flash of crimson wool, Atsumu attacked his brother and, after a short scuffle, had wrestled his phone from him. A couple of taps later, the half-finished message was sent. Tossing the phone in one direction and hurling himself in the other, the older twin darted out of the room, leaving his brother to fume alone.

“I’m gonna kill you…!” 

Already halfway down the hall, Atsumu congratulated himself for being such a good brother and pretended he didn’t hear his twin’s yell. 

~~~

**(16:23) Hey, Keiji <3 Wanna come over tonight and study**

**(17:30) Not tonight, I have a lot to do. I’m sorry**

**(17:30) Maybe we can do something this weekend?**

**(17:35) I think there’s a new Disney movie coming out, let’s pirate it >:)**

**(17:59) Let me know if you want me to bring you anything to eat**

~~~

_For a “straight” guy, Bokuto sure has a lot of pictures of half-naked men on his walls_ , Atsumu thought, sitting with his legs stretched out on his friend’s bed. The posters in question were of various volleyball players, but it was an…interesting choice for Bo to hang up pics of the men playing beach volleyball instead of, y’know, regular volleyball in an indoor court. _I’ll have to ask him about his decor sometime_. _Oh, or maybe I’ll suggest that they have a beach volleyball tournament instead of indoors this year._

“Arf, arf, hello, little friend!” 

Atsumu shot a confused glance at Bokuto, who was hanging halfway out of his window. He only briefly wondered how Bo had managed to remove the wire screen screwed to the frame. 

“No, not you, ma’am! I’m talking to your dog! Let him know he’s a cutie, okay?” Bo continued yelling at whatever poor soul happened to be walking her dog on this clear evening. “No, please don’t call the police, ma’am, I just need your pupper to know that he’s beautiful and—”

 _What kind of idiot catcalls a dog?_ Sighing, Atsumu got up and grabbed his friend by his middle, eliciting a stream of giggles. _Yikes, should’ve remembered he’s ticklish. Between him and me, I swear I’m the only one with a functioning brain cell._ The blond released Bokuto onto the floor before closing the window and sitting beside him. 

Surprisingly, Bo wasn’t a slob. Well. There were a couple of half-eaten bags of chips lying around, but the man liked taking naps on the floor too much to allow a lot of garbage to accumulate on his carpet. He laid on his back and texted Kuroo while Atsumu secured his Duolingo streak for the day. 

“Hey, Bo? Dogs go ‘woof.’” The blond said when he was finished with his Italian lesson.

“What?” Bo’s thumbs kept tapping away on his phone.

“Woof,” Atsumu repeated, louder. “Dogs sound like ‘woof,’ not ‘arf.’”

“Oh yeah? Well, woof!” Bokuto responded. After a contemplative pause, he added: “They go ‘woof’ _and_ ‘arf,’ like, ‘woof arf arf woOF!’”

“No, it’s just ‘woof!’”

“‘WOOF—’”

“C’mon, that doesn’t ev’n sound like a dog, Bokkun!”

“It totally does! And yours weren’t any better so, muah!”

“Yes, they _are_ better! It’s ‘ _woof_ ,’ not ‘woof’ or ‘arf!’ What kinda dogs are ya hangin’ out with?”

“Uh, you?” Bo laughed, and Atsumu punched his arm, prompting an “Ow!” from his friend. 

“Whaddya mean, _ow_? That didn’t hurt!”

“It totally didn’t, I—”

“If anything,” Atsumu’s lip twitched into a devious smile, “you _liked_ it, you masochist—”

“I did _not_ —”

“Ya did!”

“No, and if I did, I would’ve been like, _mngh_ , instead of _ow_ ,” Bokuto uttered a strange noise before flicking Atsumu’s forehead.

“Ow, hey! And who taught ya to moan like that? You sound like a D-list celebrity making a lousy sex tape.”

“What the heck is _that_ supposed to mean?” Suddenly self-conscious about his fake moans, Bokuto drooped a bit. He looked a bit like a wilted plant. 

“See, ya gotta do it more like this,” Atsumu said, sitting up a little taller. Shamelessly, he let out a loud moan that brought a blush to Bokuto’s cheeks. 

“Okay, no homo, but do that again? I, uh, was distracted the first time.” 

“Hah, sure.” Atsumu snorted before letting out another moan.

Bokuto listened carefully and copied the noise. Unsatisfied with the way it sounded, he let out another moan, more passionate than the first. Atsumu blinked as if to say _well, this is what we’re doing now, I guess_ and he couldn’t leave his best friend to…moan his heart out by himself. So he did what any normal person would do: Atsumu chimed in with his own sound effects.

The two egged each other on, the one brain cell they shared having been abandoned a while ago. It was a particularly erotic “Yes, daddy!” from Atsumu that eventually earned them an irritated knock on their door. The pair stopped, stared at each other for a solid fifteen seconds, and then scrambled up—tripping over each other, of course—to answer the door. 

Atsumu got to it first, pulled it open…and locked eyes with _the most beautiful man_ he’d ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on. With dark wavy hair, perfectly smooth skin, and a strong jawline, this dude easily fit the description of “tall, dark, and handsome.” But Atsumu didn’t notice any of that or even the black mask he was wearing: all he saw were piercing eyes and the two delicate beauty marks that graced his forehead. _Sir, I don’t know you, and I am not physically capable of bearing children, but DAMN, I wish I could have your babies_. 

Bokuto peeked from behind his stunned friend and grinned sheepishly at the dark-haired man who lived in a single down the hall. 

“Oh, hey, Sakusa! Sorry about the noise, we’ll quiet down.” 

“Thank you. Please be more aware of the noise you’re making,” Sakusa said, addressing Bokuto and deliberately ignoring the weird blond staring at him. That wide-eyed gaze made his skin itch. _I need to take a shower,_ Sakusa thought as he turned and walked away without another word. Bokuto shut the door behind him. Peering at Atsumu, who was still staring at the door with his mouth open, Bo poked his shoulder.

“You okay?” 

“I’m fine.” Atsumu nodded, eyes wide and pupils dilated. “Never been better.”

“You just look a little…weird. Wanna sit down?” Bo narrowed his eyes and guided Atsumu to sit on the floor. “Have you really never met Sakusa before?”

“Huh? No. And that’s Sakusa, not Agashi? You don’t talk about him much,” Atsumu blinked away the stars in his eyes and looked at Bokuto. 

“He’s not very social,” Bo shrugged. 

“Neither is the Agashi you’re constantly going on about. Did you get his number yet?”

Bokuto rubbed the back of his head. “Well…”

“So that’s a no,” Atsumu interrupted him. “Bokkun, you _gotta_ talk to this guy. And I want to meet him! Especially if he’s as great as you’re always sayin’ he is.”

“I’ll talk to him eventually! It’s just…we don’t seem to have the same schedule, and he always looks tired, and he’s so polite and kind of cold but that makes me scared to approach him—”

“Bokuto. Relax. The worst thing that could happen is that he rejects you, alright? And that ain’t so bad,” Atsumu said with a smile. _But rejection still hurts like a bitch_ , he thought.

“Yeah. Yeah! You’re right.” Bokuto grinned. A lightbulb seemed to turn on in his head. “Oh, and before I forget, Kuroo saw this weird looking thing and thought it’d be fun to audition for it.”

Bo opened up a text from Kuroo and showed the image of a flyer on dingy yellow paper. Atsumu raised an eyebrow. 

“You think I’m going to spend my break doing…whatever this is?”

“Well, yeah, why not? C’mon, we could make some new friends!”

“Nah, I have you, and occasionally ‘Samu, and that’s already too many.” 

“Aw, please? The worst thing that could happen is rejection, right?” Bo beamed, already knowing he won.

Atsumu sighed. “Fine. But this better not be a waste of time.”

~~~

**(22:45) I’m headin to bed, gn <3 Love you, Ji**

**~~~**

**(02:12) Sorry, I was working. But yeah, that sounds fun**

**(02:12) And I love you, too**

~~~

**(08:04) It’s not healthy to be up so late, y’know**

**(08:05) Can we meet up later?**

**(09:37) Sure. I’ll probably be in the library all afternoon**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> howdy, my lovelies!!  
> alrighty, I think I'll be updating this every Wednesday night (well, now it's technically half an hour into Thursday oops). I hope you enjoy this chapter and that it shines some more light on the ✨situation✨
> 
> see y'all soon!!!


	3. cool enough to kick it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing the man, the myth, the legend: Kuroo Tetsurou!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> theme song: [Thinkin Bout You by Frank Ocean](https://youtu.be/6JHu3b-pbh8)

After texting the image of the flyer and his extremely compelling reasons why they should all audition for it to the volleyball groupchat, Kuroo got ready for bed. He put on some nice flannel pajamas that his grandparents had bought him, he turned on his nightlight—he only used it because it was shaped like a serotonin molecule and he _desperately_ needed more serotonin in his life—and finally climbed into bed. He shoved his head in between two pillows and waited for sleep that struggled to come. 

See, Kuroo wasn’t an insomniac. At least, he didn’t think he was, but he _did_ have a lot of trouble sleeping unless the conditions were just right. His clothes had to be comfortable, the thread count on his sheets within a certain range, the temperature cold enough to be slightly unbearable. Going to bed had always been a tedious process for Kuroo, but lately, he’s had an even more difficult time than usual. 

_Alright, let’s see…I stopped drinking Monster, I don’t drink coffee, I don’t drink anything caffeinated after noon…have my eating habits changed? No—I don’t do anything differently, I eat balanced meals. Maybe I should see a doctor. Maybe I should try taking medicine for this. But no, I don’t think I need that?_ Kuroo rolled over onto his back and stuck a leg out from under the blanket. He sighed and stared at the ceiling. His phone beeped with notifications, but he resisted the urge to check. 

_Gotta train myself to sleep. No phone, no blue light. Gotta go to bed at the same time every night—can’t stay up too late fooling around._ As much as he wanted to check the groupchat or Tinder or whatever other app was blowing up his phone, he resisted. _Okay. Sleep time. Time to sleep. Sleep. Sleep._ Kuroo rolled back onto his belly, pressing his face into his pillows. He stuck both legs back under the blanket, then bent one knee out to the side. _Perfect sleeping position. Okay. Okay. Step two: make my stupid brain relax. One times one is one. One times two is two. One times three is three. One times four is four…_

~~~

**Kiyoomi sent you a new message (1m ago)**

**You got a new match! (1m ago)**

**You got a new match! (36m ago)**

~~~

_…times eight is ninety-six. Twelve times nine is one hundred and eight. Twelve times ten is one hundred and twenty. Twelve times eleven…_

~~~

**(00:24) This looks stupid—I’m not auditioning**

**(00:25) tsukki tsukki tsukki you gotta!!!!!!**

**(00:25) we gotta get all the bros together for ittttt**

**(00:25) you and me and kuroo and daichiiiii**

**(00:27) Hey it’s past midnight and I have class in the morning, could you guys talk in private? And not, y’know, in the gc**

**(00:27) The groupchat that is SUPPOSED to be dedicated solely to the volleyball club, remember?**

**(00:27) Sorry, Daichi**

**(00:27) sorry dai!!!! didn’t realize how late it was**

**(00:27) butttt i respect the hustle bro**

**(00:28) also**

**(00:28) are you going to audition??? Plssss do it do it do it do it**

**(00:28) also also also we should do beach volleyball this year if the weather’s nice**

**(00:28) tsum tsum mentioned it and it sounds so neatttttttt**

**(00:30) …**

**(00:30) Fine. But only if you stop texting in here after like, midnight**

**(00:31) And we can discuss the tournament tomorrow**

**(00:31) deal!!! Gn!!**

~~~

_…sixty-eight. Seventeen times five is eighty-five. Seventeen times six is one hundred and two. Seventeen times seven is…_

~~~

In the morning, Kuroo met Tsukki outside of his dorm room and the pair walked to their physics lecture, just as they did every Tuesday and Thursday. Kuroo slung his arms around his friend’s shoulders, and predictably, Tsukishima shrugged him off with a scoff. It was a nice day, clear and sunny with clouds that looked like tufts of rabbit fur. Kuroo gazed up at the sky for a moment, squinting, before averting his eyes. He yawned. 

“Hey, Tsukki? Are you still dating Yams?”

“Yes, why?” Tsukki glanced at Kuroo from the corner of his eye.

“Just wondering.” 

“You’re not the type to ‘just wonder.’ Why’re you bringing him up?” Tsukishima frowned. The pair stopped in front of the door to the building in which the lecture was held. 

“What do you mean? I’m a scientist—it’s my job to wonder,” Kuroo used his keycard to unlock the door before pulling it open for Tsukki. The blond didn’t budge, but instead stared at him. 

“You’re acting weird.”

“And you’re being suspicious for no reason, dude,” Kuroo said with another yawn. Stepping past Tsukki, he entered the building and headed down the hallway to their classroom. Tsukishima, still ruffled by the exchange, followed with a scowl on his face. 

~~~

Tetchier than usual, Tsukki didn’t sit next to Kuroo during class, and as soon as the lecture ended, he put on his headphones and zipped out of the room like Bigfoot on his way to get a pedicure. Kuroo pretended not to notice, though his feelings were a bit hurt.. 

“Hey, ‘Samu,” Kuroo leaned forward and poked his shoulder as Osamu shoved his books into his backpack, “Are you busy?”

“I guess not, but I was gonna go see Keiji. Somethin’ up?” Osamu stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder.

“No, not really. Well. Yes? The usual, I guess. I was wondering if you wanted to get some sushi and talk. But I get it if you want to spend time with your boyfriend.” Kuroo stood and stretched. He picked up his own bag.

“Yeah. About that, I—er, I can wait a bit to see him. He’s probably studying, so there’s no rush. Y’know how it is.” 

Kuroo raised an eyebrow but didn’t respond. Osamu cleared his throat. 

“Well, uh…let’s get going.”

Walking in silence, the two could only imagine what had happened to make the other so somber. 

~~~

“You first.” Osamu said and, seeing that Kuroo was opening his mouth to protest, added, “You’re the one who wanted to talk.”

_You got me there._ Kuroo paused before speaking.

“This morning, I asked Tsukki if he was still dating Yamaguchi, and he seemed to think I had some kind of ulterior motive, but I was genuinely curious! He hadn't talked about Tadashi in ages, and I really, truly, genuinely wanted to know what was up with them. Geez, I don’t even know why I’m friends with him—”

“It’s ‘cause you have a thing for cold assholes—”

“That sounds _disgusting_ —”

“Oh, fuck you, ya know I didn’t mean it like that. But c’mon, you like people who’re emotionally distant and who already have loving boyfriends.”

“Okay, I did _not_ just treat you to sushi so that you could come for me like this.”

“Ya didn’t treat me, and you know it. I used my own meal points.”

“…yeah, yeah, okay,” Kuroo rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ll treat you next time.”

“Bold of you to assume there will be a next time.” Osamu ate a piece of salmon sushi. His eyes closed for a moment, and Kuroo could tell he was really savoring it.

“There will be. You say that every time we do anything together, but here we are yet again.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Osamu flashed a grin, “but is that all that’s buggin’ you? The thing with Tsukishima? Not to be rude, but you and I both know he’s kind of a jerk, so don’t let him get ya down.”

“I’ll get over it…but you know how you bullied me into downloading that dating app?”

“I didn’t _bully_ you, per se—”

“You totally did! Anyway, I did, and I have a couple of matches already—”

“Don’t tell me you’re surprised—”

“I’m not, I know I’m a ten outta ten, but I _am_ surprised about who I matched with.” Kuroo sipped his tea, his lightly pursed lips hiding juicy secrets.  
“Oh?” Osamu leaned forward. “Who?”

“Daichi!”

“What? I thought he was with Suga?”

“No, no. Like, they _should_ be together, but you know how they are. I feel like Dai matched with me as a joke, though. Or by accident,” Kuroo said with a snort. “But hey, if he and Suga really are friends and nothing more, then maybe I have a shot—”

“Kuroo. Don’t.”

“Hm?”

“Don’t mess with ‘em.” Osamu ate his last piece of sushi. “They’re oblivious ‘n’ all, but that doesn’t mean you should butt in. You push everyone’s buttons already with yer flirtin’…don’t ruin your friendship with either of them just because you’re a horny bastard.”

“Rude, but fair. I get it. Oh, and guess who the other match is?”

“Who?” 

“Sakusa Kiyoomi.”

“…who?”

“The germaphobe who lives in Bo’s dorm. Wild, right? I haven’t looked at the message he sent yet, but it’s so weird that he’s even putting himself out there.”

“Huh, really?” At this point, Osamu had opted to pretend to know who Sakusa was in order to keep the conversation going. 

“Mhm. I’ve seen him around campus looking like a goddamn supermodel, but I had no idea he was gay.” 

“Huh. Hey, I think you should go for it. Maybe ya can finally get over Kenma.”

“I am over him. I have been for ages. We’re friends, we’re cool, everything’s fine now.”

“Yeah, sure.” Osamu rolled his eyes.

“I’m fine, alright?” Kuroo checked the time. “Didn’t you have something you wanted to talk about? You seemed so tense earlier.”

“It’s kinda heavy—”

“We’re friends! You can talk to me. If you’re comfortable, of course—”

“I’m breakin’ up with ‘Ji,” Osamu blurted out. He ran his fingers through his hair and stared at his empty sushi tray. Unpleasant feelings settled in Kuroo's stomach like clumps of wet sand. He stayed quiet, waiting for Osamu to continue.

“I don’t know how to tell him, I don’t want to hurt ‘im, but bein’ in a relationship with him has been…I don’t feel like we’re compatible anymore. I understand that his classes are important, and studyin’ is important, and all of this other stuff is important, but where do I fit? Am I selfish for thinkin’ like this? I feel like I don’t have a space in his life…and that he’s not even tryin’ to carve a space for me anymore. And…and I don’t think I _want_ him to make space for me anymore. I’m done. I’m tired and I’m done.”

Kuroo paused before responding, but even then, his tongue struggled to release the right words. 

“I’m sorry, ‘Samu. I’m really sorry, I…Breakups are hard, but I’m here for you, okay? I’m so sorry, man. I had no idea you were having problems.”

“It didn’t feel like we were havin’ problems, but it didn’t feel like things were right, either. Y’know?” Osamu sighed and bit at his lip. “It’s so strange. I didn’t always mind these things about him, and I guess I thought his aloofness was endearin’ at first. But then it started to hurt, and then—and _now_ —it just feels numb. I’m so tired of it.”

“I understand. I, um. I felt like that with Kenma. Towards the end of our…But there’s a point where you have to decide if you’re going to keep hurting yourself for a dead relationship, and I think…nevermind. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Is that why you wanted to see him this afternoon?”

“Yeah.” 

“Good luck…I’ll be around if you need to talk some more, alright?”

“Thanks, Kuroo. I appreciate havin’ a friend like you.”

“I’m glad you’re my friend, too.” 

They exchanged tired smiles before heading off on their separate paths.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello, my dears!!
> 
> I tried to make a proper outline for this, but the characters keep doing what they want and ignoring the beautifully constructed arcs I set up for them, so uh. Yeah.  
> (and no this is most certainly not me making excuses about why I added extensive volleyball montages in chapters 9 and 10. how dare you make such a slanderous accusation smh. (and this is a totally unrelated side note, but do y'all like volleyball montages?))  
> ...ANYWAY, I'm aiming for 20 chapters, so hopefully this sticks to a mostly coherent plot that wraps up nicely by then!
> 
> as always, thank you for reading!!


	4. bro smooches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-breakup sadness + a date
> 
> theme song: [Solitude by Sorry, Peach](https://youtu.be/7zGEEZ4VUTw)

_This is stupid._ Sakusa swiped left. _Ew, seriously?_ Swipe left. _Gross_. Left. _I swear, if I see another fish in one of these profiles_ … Left, left, left. _Wait._ He paused at a picture of a smiling man with messy black hair. _No, not messy. Disheveled. It looks shiny, well-taken care of, just not styled. It also looks…familiar? Where have I seen him before?_ Sakusa looked through the rest of this guy’s—Tetsurou’s—pictures. The next pic was an action shot of him blocking a volleyball, his satisfied smile revealing shiny white teeth. _Look at that smug face. I wonder if he’s on the university’s team. Or if he’ll be playing in the spring tournament._

Sakusa swiped to see the last picture. Tetsurou wore a lab coat and gloves and was in…the chem lab? Recognizing the room in which he was working, Sakusa read through his bio. _So he’s studying chemistry and goes to the same university as I do. Interesting. Are we in the same chemistry class?_ Sakusa furrowed his brows as he struggled to remember if he’s seen Tetsurou before. 

“Hmm,” Sakusa hummed to himself as he thought. _Ah, I remember him—he sits in the back…what’s his name? Ka—no._ He squeezed his eyes shut for a couple of long moments.

“Kuroo. Kuroo, that’s it.” Pleased with how good his memory was, Sakusa looked back at the picture.

_He’s handsome. He looks like he knows how to keep a surface sterile. And I can unmatch him if he’s irritating._ He took a deep breath and swiped right for the first time since Komori had made this account for him. 

He flinched when the app immediately alerted him that **_You have a new match!_ ** and was then prompted to send Tetsurou a message. _What do I say? “Hi”? No, “hi” is too boring by itself. Isn’t it? I wouldn’t respond to a plain “hi.” No need to overthink this. Send something normal, something that can start a conversation._

**(23:42) Hey, I think we might have chemistry together.**

_There, that’s fine._ Sakusa yawned. He put his phone in its sanitizing wireless charger and combed his hair before getting in bed. Soon after closing his eyes, he fell asleep and, oddly enough, dreamed of a black cat, a cute blond, and Lysol spray. 

~~~

**(14:45) Cute pickup line**

**(14:45) Wanna meet up for dinner sometime to check if we really do have chemistry?**

**(14:47) No, I meant are you in Chem 334? I’m in that class and I thought I’ve seen you before.**

**(14:47) oh lmao yeah**

**(14:48) I thought you were flirting, my bad**

**(14:49) I didn’t intend to be so forward.**

**(14:50) it’s all good, no worries**

**(14:50) Do you still want to get dinner though? We can make it a study date**

**(14:55) …Sure. When and where do you want to meet?**

**(14:56) Are you up for going out tonight actually**

**(14:56) For something casual ofc, I know this is short notice**

**(14:56) Otherwise we can go out this weekend**

**(14:57) Tonight’s fine. I’ll be busy later this week.**

**(14:58) Nice ok, see you around six?**

**(14:58) You’re in Bokuto’s dorm building, yeah? I’ll meet you outside**

**(15:00) See you then**

Despite the giddy feeling growing in his chest, Kuroo promised himself that he wouldn’t catch feelings too quickly. 

~~~

Osamu didn’t drink to excess on weekends the way his brother did. He’d been drunk once—before he knew his limits—but hadn’t been hammered since. He didn’t like the way it made him feel, like the world was blurred at the edges. So when Osamu asked his brother if he had any hard seltzer (beer made 'Tsumu feel bloated), Atsumu knew something was wrong. 

“Have you been cryin’?” Atsumu peered at his twin, who was sitting at his desk chair and struggling to focus on the research paper he was writing.

“I broke up with him.” Osamu’s lip twitched. “And now I feel like shit.”

“You—yikes. Want me to call Bo and ask him to bring some ice cream?”

“Not tonight…I don’t want anythin’. I’m not hungry. I want…I don’t even know what I want. I just want to sleep.”

_Not hungry? Oh, this is bad. This is BAD bad._ Atsumu’s brows furrowed. 

“When’s your paper due? Next week, right? Take a long shower and then go to sleep. You’ll feel better when ya wake up.” 

“I guess,” Osamu said, “but I’m not really up to showerin’.” 

“Then at least wash yer face, knucklehead. Acne doesn’t look good on anyone.” Atsumu smacked his brother’s shoulder. 

“Fine.” 

While Osamu was brushing his teeth and washing his face, Atsumu swallowed his pride and called Kuroo. No answer. _I try to do something nice for once, and this is what happens? Being a good brother is too much damn work, I swear._

“Ugh.” Atsumu unlocked the passcode on Osamu’s phone and called Kuroo, who answered after the second ring.

“Sorry, Sakusa, this’ll only take a moment. Hey, Osamu, how are you feeling? You okay after the talk with Keiji?”

_Sakusa? Why is he with Sakusa? Is this THE Sakusa? The same Sakusa I may or may not have stalked on Instagram?_ Reluctantly shoving those thoughts to the side, Atsumu addressed the problem at hand. 

“Kuroo, this is Atsumu. ‘Samu’s havin’ a hard time, and I was wonderin’ if you could talk to him? Get him to shower or eat something? He won’t listen to me, and it’s startin’ to piss me off.”

“Oh. Yeah, I’ll talk to him.”

Despite noticing that his brother had his phone, Osamu walked past him and climbed in bed, face-down. Atsumu frowned and placed the phone beside him. 

“I’m goin’ to pick up some dinner, alright?” 

Osamu only grunted a response as his brother left. 

“‘Samu?” Kuroo called out. 

“I’m here.”

“Today and tomorrow will be the worst—”

“Great.”

“But it’s not going to feel like this forever. Okay? It won’t hurt so bad after a while, and then you can look for someone new. Someone who you’re more compatible with.” 

“Sure.”

“Look,” Kuroo sighed, “I know how bad it feels. I get it. But let us support you while you heal. My dude, I didn’t even realize Atsumu had my number saved in his phone—I thought he hated me. But he reached out to me because you need help. So accept our help. Please?”

“…I’ll try.”

“That’s all we can ask. Things’ll get better.”

“I hope so.”

~~~

**(22:34) BOKUTO BOKUTO BOKUTO BOKTUO**

**(22:34) GUESS WHATTT**

**(22:34) WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT**

**(22:35) ok so you know how i have tinder?**

**(22:35) YEAH**

**(22:35) What happened????**

**(22:35) tyPE FASTER**

**(22:36) IM TYPIN AS FAST AS I CAN**

**(22:36) DONT INTERRRUPT ME**

**(22:38) i matched with sakusa, I already told you that, but like, I didn’t expect to go out on a date with him??? But we went out tonight and we ate onigiri and it was pretty good, but what??? I went on a date???? it’s been SO LONG**

**(22:39) and it felt good!! I mean i don’t know if we’re actually gonna date but i feel like im finally okay with kenma being with that shouyou guy instead of me**

**(22:39) i always wanted him to be happy**

**(22:40) but before, i wanted him to be happy with ME**

**(22:40) but now…**

**(22:40) im okay**

**(22:40) no not just ok**

**(22:41) im fuckin over the moon, and sakusa’s kinda hot, like**

**(22:41) i wouldn’t mind gettin under his mask, if u know what i mean**

**(22:41) am i allowed to respond now???? Are you done????? Because I am sO EXCITED**

**(22:41) ye go ahead bo**

**(22:42) you went on a date!!! I am sO PROUD**

**(22:42) and geez, u two moved fast wth**

**(22:43) but im happy for you**

**(22:43) now you can stop being weird around kenma lmao**

**(22:43) and you can actually get to know hinata because he’s like super fun, i love that funky lil fella**

**(22:44) anYWAY**

**(22:44) Im really happy for you**

**(22:45) thanks man :))))**

**(22:46) but also like**

**(22:46) idk if i should tell you this**

**(22:47) but I think atsumu is into sakusa??? either that or he hates him???? lol i legit cannot tell the difference**

**(22:47) they met the other day and they had this weird tension?**

**(22:47) idk how to describe it**

**(22:48) ew what**

**(22:48) whatever idc**

**(22:49) and like i said, idk if Sakusa and I will actually be a thing**

**(22:49) he’s hot as hell but he’s kinda odd? It’s cute but also like…i feel like i gotta carry around a bottle of mouthwash just to kiss him :(((**

**(22:50) did u not kiss after your date???**

**(22:51) tragic**

**(22:51) no :(((((( heart been broke so many times**

**(22:51) but i get it, i don’t mind**

**(22:52) you sure??**

**(22:52) you’re such a physical person, my dude**

**(22:53) hey I can tone it down for him**

**(22:53) and even if we aren’t a *thing* we can still be friends and that doesn’t involve kissing**

**(22:54) huh????**

**(22:54) bruh i kiss my friends all the time, what u doing**

**(22:55) ?????**

**(22:55) you haven’t kissed me??? are we not friends???**

**(22:56) BRO**

**(22:57) WHAT DO YOU MEAN**

**(22:57) i give atsumu smooches all the time??? And daichi and suga??? Have you really been missin out??? and i gave osamu one once???**

**(22:58) YOURE MY BEST BRO AND I HAVENT GIVEN U KISSESSS???**

**(22:58) HWAHT**

**(22:58) UH YEAH**

**(22:59) how dare you distribute platonic kisses without me smh**

**(22:59) theN GET OVER HERE RN**

**(22:59) u need a bro smooch**

**(23:00) pls dont ever call it that again**

**(23:00) but also yes im comin**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ciao, my lovelies!!!
> 
> Things I had to do to today: write an essay for my lit class  
> Things I have done today: not write an essay for my lit class 🙃 we're thriving out here
> 
> In other news, Daichi and Suga will be in the next chapter!!! also also also, I now have a writing instagram, so uhh go wild if u want: [(@heartsick_alien_diplomat)](https://www.instagram.com/heartsick_alien_diplomat/?hl=en)


	5. pride & prejudice & pillows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suga's the therapist friend, Akaashi comes to terms with his feelings, and Daichi is a Good Guy™️

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> theme song: [Jenny (I Wanna Ruin Our Friendship) by Studio Killers](https://youtu.be/hyj4JFSErrw)

**(09:35) hey dai**

**(09:35) whatcha doing**

**(09:36) Aren’t you in class???**

**(09:36) Text me after, sug**

**(09:37) okAY fine >:(**

~~~ 

**(10:15) hey cutie, do I know you from somewhere?**

**(10:15) I matched with you by accident, Kuroo**

**(10:16) harsh, man :,(**

**(10:16) Sorry**

**(10:17) But I bet you have tons of better matches, so go get ‘em, champ!**

**(10:18) lmao why do you have such dad energy**

**(10:18) oh shit does this mean im into dilfs????**

**(10:18) time to find a sugar daddy**

**(10:19) :(**

~~~

**(11:21) I’m out!!!!**

**(11:21) sooooo are you doing anything later??? Pride and prejudice is on netflix and i wanna squeal about it**

**(11:22) Suga**

**(11:22) We literally live together**

**(11:23) But I can’t tonight :( I have a lab that runs late, and I have an exam tomorrow**

**(11:23) devastating**

**(11:23) do you mind if i invite akaashi over then?**

**(11:24) Nope, go ahead**

**(11:25) Idk how long I’ll be out, but I’ll pick up dinner if I’m not too late**

**(11:26) you’re the best, dai!!!**

**(11:26) see you later, have fun doing smart boy shit**

**(11:27) Lmao thank you**

~~~

Suga didn’t expect Akaashi to accept his invitation to hang out, but was delighted he had a good movie-watching partner. Daichi had other obligations, and Asahi was out with his boyfriend, so Akaashi was the next one on the list. Cuddling with Daichi was always preferred—Suga had been harboring a crush on his best friend for years now—but Akaashi and Asahi were close seconds. _Dai’s also the most reliable—he’s like my partner in crime._ Suga smiled to himself. _Asahi’s a fantastic cuddler though, he’s so tall and warm. But I get that he spends a lot of time with Kai now. They’re so cute together._

He drew the blinds and closed the blackout curtains in their room. _It’ll be good to see Akaashi again._ _Although…I haven’t spent time with him in a while_ , Suga thought as he arranged blankets and pillows on the floor to create a cozy little spot, perfect for watching romantic dramas. _We have some catching up to do._ Hearing two soft knocks on the door, Suga bounced over to open it, nearly tripping over his own feet. 

“Hey! How are…you look awful, are you okay?” Suga’s excitement quickly turned to concern when he saw what a _wreck_ his friend was. Akaashi always looked a little tired, but today he looked like he had just come from a funeral. His hair was messier than usual, his eyes were puffy and red (and Suga knew that Akaashi wasn’t the type to do any kind of drug that would cause that), and he was wearing heather grey sweatpants with a hole in the knee. _Those sweats?_ _Outside of his dorm? Oh, hell no, something’s wrong._

“I’m not,” Akaashi said, avoiding eye contact. “I messed up.”

“What do you mean? Do you want to talk about it?” Taking him by his elbow, Suga led Akaashi inside and closed the door. 

“I still can’t…I…I don’t know how to _fix_ this…” Akaashi’s lip trembled as he whispered the words. 

“Fix what? You’re starting to scare me. Should we call Osa—”

“He broke up with me, Suga! We’re over.” 

Suga wondered what it took to turn Akaashi’s normally soft voice into something so hoarse and raw. It made his chest ache, but he could only imagine how much worse his friend was feeling. 

“Can you tell me what happened?” Suga’s voice was soft, as if he were comforting a dog or teary-eyed child instead of this twenty-year-old adult. 

“Yesterday I was in the library, and he came in,” Akaashi sucked in a shaky breath, “and he said what we had wasn’t working. That all I do is work, and I don’t…that I didn’t make him feel loved. He said, what else did he say, he said that things will be _easier_ for me if we weren’t together. How would he know what’s best for me? _I_ don’t even know what’s best any—” 

“Oh, ‘Kaashi,” Suga murmured as he pulled his friend into a tight hug. He gently rubbed his back, and he could feel Akaashi’s thin frame trembling. They stayed like that for several minutes longer than a typical hug should last, but the contact was exactly what Akaashi needed. The last time he’d felt this safe and supported was a while ago, during his last date with Osamu. A needle seemed to pierce his heart at the thought of it. 

“I hurt him, Suga. The way he looked when he said he loved me, I—” Akaashi bit his tongue and tightened the hug.

“I know…I know, buddy.”

“I couldn’t even say it back! I’m horrible, and I didn’t deserve him, and now he’s hurting because of me. I’m an idiot. He tried so hard and I _watched_ him try and I still stopped bothering to meet him halfway…I should have told him that I was this unlovable. Right when we first met. I feel like such a monster, I feel like I’ve been manipulating him this whole time, I’m such a—”

“Stop beating yourself up. You can’t change the past, okay?” Suga continued rubbing his back, making big steady circles with his hand. 

“I’m a monster. I’m so selfish…”

Placing his hands on Akaashi’s cheeks, Suga held his face still and looked him in the eyes.

“Do you really believe that about yourself?”

Akaashi didn’t respond—he knew Suga wouldn’t like the answer.

“I don’t see a monster when I look at you. I see someone who’s hurting and who doesn’t know how to deal with his feelings. That doesn’t make you stupid or selfish or unlovable, but it also doesn’t excuse you for your actions.”

Sugawara paused to gauge Akaashi’s reaction before continuing.

“Think of it like a broken bone. It hurts a lot now, right?” A nod. “I can tell it does. But it’s going to heal well if we set it right. Maybe you’ll still feel pangs in the future, maybe you’ll forget you broke it in the first place. But we need to set it, okay? And we need to think about how to prevent you from breaking bones in the future.”

“You don’t have to talk to me like I’m a child,” Akaashi said and sniffled.

“Oh, I know you like your metaphors, Mr. I-Consume-Books-Like-French-Fries.” Suga smiled. “You need to forgive yourself. Accept that you made a mistake—because based on what you told me, you messed up—and move on.”

“I feel so bad. I don’t know how to move on, knowing I’ve hurt him like this.”

“I don’t really know what to tell you. I’ve never been in this situation before.” Suga let go of Akaashi and put his hands on his own hips. “Do you want to be friends with him…?”

“Yes. I think so? I really like him, I just—”

“So you didn’t love him.”

“I think,” Akaashi spoke slowly and thoughtfully, “that the love I had for him was different than the love he had for me.” 

“Well, if you want to salvage at least some part of your relationship, you need to talk to him. Although you might want to wait a bit.”

“How long?”

“When you feel ready, I guess? I wish I knew, Akaashi. Honestly, I’ve only dated creeps in the past, so I didn’t feel bad about ghosting them. I don’t know how to build a friendship out of a relationship’s ashes.”

“I see.” Akaashi breathed deeply and then sighed. “Thank you…I’m sorry to bother you with all of this.”

“Hey, don’t be sorry!” Suga lightly punched Akaashi’s shoulder. “This is what friends are for, yeah?”

“Yeah,” he said, his lips curling into a little smile. “Do you still want to watch the movie? It’s not too late yet.”

“You sure? You don’t have studying to do?” Suga poked Akaashi in the ribs, causing him to flush, squeak, and wiggle away. 

“I’ve decided that it’s okay to get an “A” instead of an “A+” in my calculus class. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made in the name of self-care.”

“How brave of you,” Suga said, nodding solemnly before laughing. He got his laptop and logged into his parents’ Netflix account. He turned on the movie, while Akaashi turned off the lights in the dorm room.

The pair settled down on the pile of pillows with Suga sitting upright, propped up against a plush body pillow, and Akaashi lying down with his head in his friend’s lap. Gently running his fingers through Akaashi’s hair, Sugawara paid rapt attention to the movie (despite having seen it a million times before), but Akaashi couldn’t focus on the romance budding between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. All he could think about was how he _wasn’t_ going to be watching a movie like this with Osamu anytime soon, if ever again.

~~~

_Why am I not surprised?_ Although he let out a tired sigh, Daichi smiled fondly at the two young adults sleeping on the floor in front of him. He silently closed Suga’s laptop, which had started playing _Nailed It!_ after _Pride and Prejudice_ had finished, and set it on the silver-haired man’s desk. Carefully, Daichi tapped Akaashi’s shoulder, but considering he hadn’t slept more than four hours within the past 36 hours, he didn’t stir. _Damn._

Daichi glanced at the time and paused. Level-headed as always, he considered his options: _I could wake him up or I could let him sleep here._ Within about half a second, Dai had decided his course of action. Rather than rouse Akaashi, he gently shifted him off of Suga’s lap and tucked him in amongst the pillows and blankets on the floor. _That actually looks pretty comfy. Nice job, Daichi._ After mentally patting himself on the back for solving this problem-that-wasn’t-really-a-problem, he turned his attention to Suga. 

_How can he sleep like that? Sitting up like a…like a horse or something. No, they sleep standing up, not sitting down. Right? I think so. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a sleeping horse. Weird._ Daichi shook his head, just a little. _Focus. Suga. Wow, he’s cute. Those eyelashes, I—wow._ _No! Focus!_ Leaning down, Dai poked Suga’s shoulder and got the response he was expecting: absolutely nothing. _He really does sleep like a rock._ With practiced skill, he scooped Suga up, one arm beneath his knees and the other around his torso, and stood up straight. And, like always, Sugawara slumped against him and rested his sleeping head on Dai’s shoulder. 

Daichi avoided the creaky spots on the floor as he walked to Suga’s bed. By now, it was like a dance to him. One step to the left, two to the right, avoid this spot near the bedpost, and bip-bop-boom, he’d arrived at Suga’s bedside. Daichi set him down delicately, as if he were made of fine china, and moved to cover him with a blanket…only to realize that Suga had donated every one of his blankets to what has now become Akaashi’s personal pillow pile. 

_Guess he thought he wouldn’t fall asleep. He always does, why would this time be any different?_ Daichi glanced at Akaashi and judged the probability that he could wrangle a blanket from the pile without him waking up. Considering the man had bundled himself up like a burrito, Dai figured the odds were against him. 

Sighing softly, he pulled the quilt off of his own bed and draped it over Suga, who cuddled into the warmth and smiled like the sickeningly cute creature he was. Daichi changed into warm jammies and internally grumbled about having to buy yet another blanket because _someone_ kept stealing them. (He purposely ignored the fact that Suga was not intentionally stealing them; rather, Daichi was willingly giving them to him.) But before getting into his own bed, he glanced at Suga and resisted the urge to give him a kiss goodnight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, darlings!!
> 
> Happy Wednesday and Happy National Tortilla Day! (yes it's a holiday)  
> next week's update will be a doozy: get excited for tsukki and yamaguchi!!
> 
> friendly reminder to check my profile if u ever want to contact me/see what I'm up to!


	6. ashes, ashes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and communication troubles :(

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> theme song: [Cabo by Ricky Montgomery](https://youtu.be/8Rt3TwgWWcQ)

When Yamaguchi said he pretended he was in a music video everytime he walked around campus while listening to music, Tsukki scoffed and told him that was childish. Yams, in typical Yamaguchi fashion, apologized for being silly, laughed it off, and continued to indulge in his little habit, although it brought him slightly less joy than before. 

Tsukishima had ridiculed his boyfriend for that particular quirk—as well as a few others, until Yams simply stopped bringing them up—but here he was, walking through campus with a disgruntled expression and pop punk playing through his headphones. He felt like the main character in an angsty teen drama and honestly, it was kind of therapeutic. 

_I’ll have to swallow my pride and tell Tadashi that this isn’t as weird as I first said it was._ Tsukki looked at a worm wriggling on the sidewalk. Wrinkling his nose, he picked it up and flung it carelessly into the grass. He wiped his hand on his pant leg and kept walking. _But it’s not like it’ll come up in conversation naturally again, so why bother? He would’ve mentioned it again if what I said bothered him._

He considered getting lunch when he walked past the little sushi place on campus, but he decided he wasn’t hungry and continued toward his dorm. _That damn Kuroo. He knows I’m dating Tadashi. Why would he ask about him? What is he up to?_ Tsukki scowled as he entered his dorm building and went up to his room. Unlocking the door with his keycard, he opened the door and slung his bag down beside his desk—the heavy _thunk_ of which caused the small blonde-haired girl sitting at Yams’s desk to flinch and Yamaguchi to stop laughing. 

Ignoring the girl and his boyfriend, Tsukki sat at his own desk, opened his laptop, and started working on his next assignment. Tsukishima didn’t notice the tension that filled the air; Yams and his friend, however, did and decided to head out. Tsukki didn’t realize they had left until an hour later.

~~~

**(18:46) heya tsukki**

**(18:50) I don’t want to talk to you**

**(18:50) Leave me alone or I’ll block your number**

**(18:51) you’re so cruel**

**(18:51) but before you block me again, hear me out**

**(18:54) …**

**(18:54) Fine**

**(18:55) you should audition for that thing I sent earlier**

**(18:56) I’m blocking you**

**(18:56) NO WAIT**

**(18:56) I heard that your mans was going to audition**

**(18:57) what?**

**(18:57) Yamaguchi**

**(18:58) I was in the library on the south side of campus earlier and**

**(18:58) I overheard him and some girl talking about it**

**(18:59) she kept talking about how ugly the sign was lmaoooo**

**(18:59) Are you stalking my boyfriend or something?**

**(18:59) bruh**

**(19:00) do I LOOK like—**

**(19:00) I’m insulted**

**(19:00) im going to block my own number from your phone smh**

**(19:01) Is all of this an elaborate ploy to get me to audition for that stupid thing with you?**

**(19:02) hey it’s not a ploy, do I look like a conman?**

**(19:02) don’t answer that**

**(19:03) but ask him yourself if you doubt me**

**(19:04) You’re an asshole**

**(19:05) takes one to know one babe xoxo**

~~~

After eating cup noodles at his desk and frowning at his texts with Kuroo, Tsukki tidied up the dorm room he shared with his boyfriend. _Who does that rooster-head think he is? I am NOT going to audition for—_ The door to his room opened and Yamaguchi came in, slightly out of breath and carrying a small box with the logo of a local bakery stamped on the top. He gave Tsukishima a slightly lopsided smile.

“Hey,” he said and set the box down on his boyfriend’s desk. “I’m going to take a shower real quick.”

Tsukki paused his cleaning and turned to face his roommate. “Where were you? You’re not usually out for so long on a weekday.”

“Oh, did I worry you? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I’m working on this project with Yachi for this art history course we’re taking, and we ended up stopping by the café in the library, and I guess I lost track of time. Sorry, Tsukki.”

“Stop apologizing, it’s unnecessary.” Tsukishima crossed his arms. “Do you remember the weird flyer Kuroo has been pestering me about?”

Yams wracked his brain for a couple of moments, trying to recall it. 

“I don’t think you ever showed me anything like that. Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s just…I thought I showed you. He found it in the library—”

“Oh, Yachi and I saw something strange there today. I wonder if it’s the same flyer.” 

“Was it a job offer? Something about an audition? If it was, it’s the same.”

“Yeah,” Yams said with a smile. He was glad they were on the same page. It seemed to happen less and less often these days. 

“Are you going to audition?”

“I think so. I mean, Yachi said I should go just to yell at the producers to find a better graphic designer—”

“I thought we had other plans over break.”

“They’ll be other breaks, Tsukki, and my parents don’t mind going without us—”

“That’s not the point, and I think you know that.”

Yamaguchi took a step backward towards the door. “I’m going to shower, okay? Can we talk about this later?”

_You always say that._

“Fine.” 

After Yams left, Tsukki went to bed without so much as a glance at the little dessert box placed on his desk. The tiny strawberry shortcake sat neglected until the morning, when Tsukishima finally peeked inside the box. The sight gave him a stomachache.

~~~

When Yamaguchi woke up, Tsukki was gone. Having signed up for classes that met rather early, Tsukishima was usually out of the dorm and walking to class before many students on campus had even woken up. Yams rolled out of bed and stretched before getting dressed for the day. He opened the blinds halfway and tended to the tiny plant that sat in their windowsill. 

“Good morning, little lady,” he said to his little pot of English ivy. Unable to come up with an actual name for her, Yamaguchi instead relied on an ever-growing list of pet names to refer to her. He lightly misted her with a pale blue spray bottle he kept on his desk and inspected her leaves. “Looking good as always, cutie. Have a nice day, okay? I’ll see you later.” 

After cooing over his darling, Yams packed up his books, put his backpack on, and left his dorm room. He put in his earphones as he walked outside and scrolled through his playlists. _What’s the mood for today? I think…a sad playlist. Yeah. But not too sad?_ Yams stumbled over a bump in the sidewalk. His face flushed and he walked a bit faster. _Nah, it's a sad-sad day._

_But is it “all i want is to be the moon” sad or “leave me the fuck alone” sad? No, it’s not a lonesome sad or an angry sad._ Pausing for a second, Yamaguchi watched a bird pick a large worm off of the sidewalk and fly away. He felt a pang of sympathy for the helpless worm. _…it’s a “shush im coping” kind of day._ He pressed the play button and kept walking. 

~~~

**(13:30) Hey**

**(13:31) hey Tsukki!!**

**(13:32) I’m sorry I was so curt with you last night**

**(13:32) it’s ok! We all have bad days sometimes c:**

**(13:34) I still shouldn’t have been so mean. I’m sorry**

**(13:34) Do you still want to spend summer break together?**

**(13:35) I know you’re trying out for that…thing, and I’m not going to stop you**

**(13:35) But**

**(13:36) I’ll audition with you.**

**(13:36) If you want me there**

**(13:36) And I don’t mind if you don’t want me there, it’s okay**

**(13:37) akdjflkasjdh you’d do that for me???**

**(13:37) It’ll be so fun, gosh, I’m so excited!!! I’d love for you to be there with meeee**

**(13:38) I love you so much, tsukki**

**(13:39) I love you, too**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello, readers!
> 
> I promise I don't hate Tsukki; the plot needs him to be like this :( maybe he'll get better?  
> Next week we meet the producers! see y'all soon!!
> 
> (and p.s. yams's playlists are on spotify if u like sad music)


	7. grandpa chic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The interviews begin! 
> 
> warning: the ending is rather suggestive, so feel free to stop reading after "I can handle it." It's just a few sentences, so you won't be missing much

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> theme song: [INC. by Dori Valentine](https://youtu.be/PGME8SGfm1Y)

Takeda tapped his pen against the desk as he read through yet another application. His brows were knit together in thought, a slight wrinkle forming above the bridge of his nose. He scribbled a few nearly illegible notes on the application and set it to the side: rejected. Moving to pick up the next one, Takeda happened to glance up and meet his fellow producer’s eyes. He flushed and quickly got back to work, making Ukai snort. 

“Can’t believe you still get all red in the face when you look at me,” he said and took the application that Takeda had just rejected.

“It’s involuntary, I don’t mean to do it.”

“It’s not a bad thing, Specs. I think it’s adorable.”

Takeda hummed softly in response, having not paid any attention to what Ukai had said, and carefully read over the last application in the pile. Ukai spent a solid thirty seconds watching the black-haired man work— _his nose looks so cute when it scrunches like that_ —before turning back to the document in his hands. He skimmed over the paper, wrote a couple of marks in surprisingly neat handwriting, and was done reviewing it before Takeda had scrawled even one comment on the application he had been looking at. 

Ukai shifted in his chair and crossed his right ankle over his left knee. Leaning back, he watched Takeda scrutinize each and every detail of the document. _He looks like a teacher grading papers—I mean, geez, he spends so much time on each of these kids, and we haven’t even started the interviews. He’s so focused, so attentive…he’d make such a good dad._ Ukai flinched and nearly fell off of his chair, having been startled by that last thought. _Where the hell did THAT come from?_

“Keishin? Are you alright?” Takeda paused his work and looked at his partner with concern clearly written across his features. 

“Yep, yep, just tilted too far back in my chair—you know how it is.” Ukai flashed one of those casually confident smiles, but his organs felt like jelly. _I really am smitten with him, huh?_

Takeda cleared his throat. “All done!” He smiled at Ukai and passed the last application to him. Giving it a cursory look-over, the blond scribbled a couple of marks on it and put it in the “accepted” pile. 

“I’m surprised we had so many applicants. Our advertisements weren’t exactly high quality.”

“Yeah, well, they’re college students. Half of ‘em don’t have good sense and the other half are too tired to use the sense they have,” Ukai said and cracked his knuckles.

“Mm, I guess you’re right. How about we do one more review of the applications? I—”

“Three wasn’t enough?” Ukai raised an eyebrow.

“I keep worrying that we’ll miss someone that the audience will absolutely adore. I want everyone to have a fair shot at this.” Takeda sighed. “Are you happy with our shortlist?”

“Sure, why not? They’re interesting people, and they seem genuine. That’s the important thing, isn’t it? That’s what’ll hook the audience and finally get us taken seriously around here.”

“I don’t care about that. I’ll stay down here forever if that’s what it’ll take to make something worthwhile. But I keep worrying about if we _missed_ something, I’m—”

“You’re overthinking this, babe. It’ll be okay, alright?”

“…alright.”

“Ready for the interviews to start?” Ukai stood and put on his coat.

“I’m looking forward to meeting them in person,” Takeda said as he packed up the documents in a tidy black case. 

“Hah, I can’t wait to talk to that Bokuto. I’ll be devastated if he’s not as fun as he seemed in his application.”

“I think he’ll be popular. A good contrast to some of the others. Sawamura, for example, and Tsukishima.”

“All of them will be popular. We picked good ones, babe. Ready to go?” 

“Mhm.” Carrying the briefcase with one hand, Takeda slipped his free hand into Ukai’s, and the two left the little office they shared.

~~~ 

_I’m going to be murdered._ Akaashi felt oddly serene as the thought passed through his mind. _I thought I would be more stressed about this._ Sitting on a plastic chair in the dingy basement of an office building on a Saturday morning, he waited to be called for an interview with the producers of some new show. 

_This is what I applied for. I applied to be murdered, I paid for an Uber to take me to get murdered, and I am willingly waiting here. To. Be. Murdered. Why am I still here? Is something wrong with me? There must be—no normal person would so calmly and patiently await their own demise. Maybe I should leave before it's too—_

A short man with messy hair and glasses and such a nice face that he couldn’t _possibly_ be a murderer poked his head out of the office and smiled.

“Akaashi Keiji?”

~~~

When Akaashi first walked into the building, he was rather surprised by how _expensive_ everything looked. From the decor to the people in designer suits, he was shocked that this was really where he was supposed to be auditioning. As he made his way over to the shiny polished elevators, Akaashi felt increasingly self-conscious about the way he was dressed. He wore a nice blue sweater vest over a white dress shirt, but he couldn’t compare to these people decked in fancy Italian brands. 

_Why am I so stressed about this? Maybe they’ll like my…grandpa chic._ Akaashi pressed the “down” button and waited for an elevator to open. A very poorly-dressed man, posing effortlessly with one hand on his hip, walked up beside him, and Akaashi couldn’t help but look him over. Those blue plaid shorts clashed horribly with his red houndstooth jacket, but the cow-print bucket hat was truly terrible. For a moment, Akaashi felt better about his own outfit…until he recognized exactly who he was looking at. 

“Oikawa Tooru?” _…shit, did I say that out loud? Okay, I’ll pretend I didn’t say that. It wasn’t me._ Oikawa took off his sunglasses and winked at Akaashi. _Nope, he’s staring right at me, he knows it was me. I really need to get more sleep._

“I don’t usually like fans to see me when I’m in disguise, but since you’re standing there wide-eyed and starstruck, I suppose I can give you an autograph.” Oikawa said with a smile that quite frankly, made Akaashi’s knees a bit weak. Taking a mint green Sharpie out of his pocket and gently grabbing Akaashi’s hand, he scribbled a beautiful signature on the back of it. 

_I get why this guy is a star_. Snapping out of his gay panic, Akaashi shook his head and gingerly moved his hand back.

“Oh…thank you,” he said politely and, upon seeing a hint of contempt show up in Oikawa’s face at his lack of enthusiasm, added “I have an interview…audition…appointment to get to. My friend Suga is a big fan of your work, though. He loved you in _Sick of the Plague_.”

“Tell your friend he has good taste. Iwa-chan and I were a cute pair of leading men in that one.” Oikawa stepped into the first open elevator and Akaashi went in after him. Oikawa pressed the button to go to the seventh floor before looking pointedly at Akaashi. 

“I’m heading to the basement,” he said, fidgeting with his fingers. Oikawa pressed another button.

“Oh, so you’re a _newbie_ -newbie. Cute. Have fun with the career-killers.”

No longer paying attention to the ultra-famous superstar standing beside him, Akaashi had gotten lost in his own thoughts, and Oikawa looked him over. 

“You have no idea what you’re getting into, huh?”

“What do you mean?”

A bell sounded and the elevator’s doors opened. 

“You’ll see when you get down there!” Oikawa stepped out and blew a kiss as the doors closed. 

Akaashi felt a bit ill at how omnious everything was. _What have I gotten myself into?_

~~~

When Akaashi came out of the office, he saw two figures sitting where he had sat only half an hour previously. One was blond, the other covered in freckles, and he nodded politely at them as he walked past. 

Akaashi might have thought he looked friendly, but he had forgotten that he has a resting exasperated face, so when Yamaguchi saw this nicely dressed man come out of the office looking like all the life had been sucked out of him, he assumed the worst. Anxiously, he began bouncing his leg. 

“Don’t worry.” Tsukki rested a hand on his boyfriend’s knee and squeezed it lightly. Yams blushed at the contact. He put his own hand over Tsukishima’s, and the pair sat quietly until a rough voice called for Yamaguchi from behind the office door. Tsukki gave Yams a kiss on the cheek for good luck, and the latter went in for his interview.

~~~

**(09:02) Tadashi and I are here and I don’t trust these people already**

**(09:03) Good luck, Tsukki!**

**(09:03) Suga says good luck, too**

**(09:04) Thank you**

**(09:10) AAHHHH TSUKKI**

**(09:10)TELL ME EVERYTHING THATS HAPPPENIGN** **  
****(09:10) TSUKKI TSUKKI ANSWER**

_I should’ve texted Kuroo and not the whole groupchat_ , Tsukki thought. _Oh, well._

**(09:13) It’s a huge office building, but we’re in the basement. The chairs in the…lobby, if you can even call it that, are all mismatched and it smells like old coffee grounds down here.**

**(09:15) And bring a jacket because it’s cold**

**(09:16) Suga wants to know if the producers have told you any more information about this**

**(09:16) He says that it all seems kinda sus**

**(09:17) I think I would’ve heard more screaming if they were murdering my boyfriend, Daichi**

**(09:18) Everything seems low budget—I doubt these guys know what they’re doing, and that’s why they’re shoved down here instead of on a higher floor**

**(09:18) lmaoooo it’s not like we know what we’re doing either adhajshdgkjash**

**(09:18) ngl I think i’m more excited now,,,we love danger in this household**

**(09:19) WHAT HEY dai dai dai are you thinking about abandoning us???**

**(09:19) No not at all**

**(09:19) We’re already halfway there and I’d feel bad about backing out**

**(09:19) And Suga tagged along as my bodyguard, so I’m not worried :)**

**(09:20) hah dork**

**(09:20) :(**

**(09:20) LMAOOO why would you wake up and choose violence, kuroooo??? so meannnn**

**(09:21) yah it’s because you guys won’t s h u t u p**

**(09:22) Mute us then, idiot.**

After typing that last message, Tsukki put his phone on its “Do Not Disturb” mode and smiled at Yams, who had just come out of the office. 

“How’d it go?”

“It was—” Yams paused abruptly and corrected himself. “I can’t tell you yet.”

“Why not?” Tsukki took off his glasses and polished them.

“Sworn to secrecy.” 

The blank expression on Yamaguchi’s face made Tsukki’s insides churn—he couldn’t tell if the feeling was good or bad. The office door opened and Takeda smiled at the pair. 

“It was lovely to meet you, Yamaguchi,” he said. “Tsukishima? Are you ready?”

“Yes, sir,” he said and walked in, leaving Yams sitting alone.

~~~

He wasn’t alone for long. Daichi came down with Suga walking beside him, and ten minutes after they arrived, Bokuto, Atsumu, and Kuroo came out of the elevator and brought all of their excitement and energy with them. One by one, each was called into the office, and one by one, they left. By noon, almost all of the interviews that Ukai and Takeda had to do had been done. Half an hour after Atsumu’s interview was finished, the pair of producers sat in their office eating cheap (but delicious) lo mein from a tiny hole-in-the-wall down the block.

“They’re all so…interesting,” Takeda said with a smile. 

“That’s one way to put it.” Ukai snorted. “A couple of ‘em are so damn arrogant. Can’t wait to see them all together.”

“I suppose, but it makes me nervous that we can’t tell them who they’re going to be living with…”

“You kidding? It’ll make it better,” Ukai said, slurping his noodles. “No one likes fabricated drama, but that’s because it looks fake as hell. What we have with these guys is _real_. Viewers will eat it up.”

“It still feels disingenuous.” Takeda ate the last few bites of his own meal and cleaned up. 

“We explained it all to them, and they signed a contract, Specs. They know what they’re getting into.”

“But they don’t know who else is doing this with them—”

“Contracts are contracts.” Ukai shrugged. “So what’s on the menu for this afternoon? Interviewing Sakusa Kiyoomi over the phone, yeah?”

“Mhm. And I know we’re not supposed to do this, but he seemed so polite—”

“Someone sent in an application late and you didn’t have the heart to tell them no?”  
“Am I _that_ predictable?” 

“Babe, this is why our last show was a disaster. You can’t be this soft on everyone. We already signed on that Sugawara, and he hadn’t even _submitted_ an applica—”

“Trust me on this one, Keishin.” The determination on Takeda’s face was enough to make Ukai drop the subject. 

“I trust you. When is he coming for an interview?”

“At four. And I’ll be going to him. At the coffee shop where we put a flyer, actually. Can you do the Sakusa interview alone so I can—”

“Of course, you don’t even have to ask.” Ukai leaned over the desk and planted a comforting kiss on his partner’s forehead. Then he added, voice unintentionally husky and soft, “I can handle it.”

“I know you can.” Takeda caught his partner by the tie and, pressing their lips together, returned the kiss. Red-faced, he pulled away and smiled sweetly, leaving Ukai feeling warm and a bit uncomfortable below the belt. Ukai checked the time, then raised an eyebrow at his partner. 

“Yes?” Takeda blinked innocently—a bit _too_ innocently—in response. 

“You sure? It’s almost one.” Ukai could’ve sworn his boyfriend was fluttering those long eyelashes at him. 

“Mhm.”

“Even though we still have work to do?”

  
“I finished up all the paperwork last night,” Takeda said, loosening his tie with deft, slender fingers and making it all the more difficult for Ukai to stay composed. “And besides, the interviews are more difficult for the students than for us.”

“…it’s really not fair for you to be smart _and_ sexy, Ittetsu. Save something for the rest of us.”

Takeda flushed red at the compliment and paused his movements—being shy with such a high sex drive was a struggle. Ukai smiled and chuckled. There weren’t many perks to having a tiny office shoved away in the deepest depths of the basement, but this was one of them.

“C’mere, baby.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> howdy, y'all!
> 
> The main characters have all been introduced (or have they? 👀), and we're almost ready to get this show on the road.  
> as always, the comments are open and my info is in my bio--see y'all next week!


End file.
